Have you ever really stopped what you were doing and wondered how many people use the television as a babysitter for their kids without really ever admitting it?
Well let me be the first to stand up and say that I do at times. When I want to take a shower real quick, or need to fold laundry and put it away in other rooms. When I want 10 minutes to go to the bathroom without someone following me and documenting every single movement I do in there. While I’m not ashamed to admit it, I do feel bad at times when I see Monkey throw a temper tantrum when I turn the cartoons off. Or how about when I’ve spent over an hour in the kitchen cleaning and putting things way vs. spending time with the kids. But let’s be honest shall we…With all the things that have to be done during the day we just don’t have time to devote 100% of our 24 hours to our kids.
With that said, let me get to my complaint and frustration right now. I absolutely CAN NOT stand the parents that put their kids in front of the TV and never interact with them. I am dealing with such a case right now with a daycare kid. His dad has told me over the past 2 weeks that they let him watch Nick Jr and eat his dinner in his room by himself. Now this little boy is only 2 years old. He has absolutely no social skills whatsoever. I just don’t understand how a parent can come home every single night, and just shove parenting over to NickJr. What if the child choked while eating dinner? They wouldn’t know till they randomly popped in to check on them, if and when they do that is a mystery. How is that child supposed to develop the skills needed to make it in life? I can just imagine him to grow up as a very lonely isolated person and it following him into adulthood. Or he could grow up to be the trouble maker vying for attention because he never once received it as a kid.
Dunno, just know that it irritates me when people go to the extreme, it’s like what was the point in even bringing this child into the world if all you are going to do is toss the responsibility off to inanimate objects or other people. Sadly that seems to be the status quo for today’s society though. No one accepting responsibility for their own actions, always escaping consequences or responsibilities to do what’s “fun” for the moment.
Gaah I could on and on about how much I loathe society most days but really that’s another soapbox tangent that’ll be saved for another day.
Until then… what do you use to entertain the kidlets when you need to do something else?
7 Voices:
The girls get to watch movies with us as a family at night. Or if I need to do something they get 30 mins of tv so I can get it done. During the day music or food network is on the background for noise while I am doing stuff. My kids have free access to their books, toys, crayons and construction paper and outside though. They enjoy when we sit down and watch movies together. But I admit they love Nick Jr or Spourt. I am not such a fan.
Okay...yah...no more strips.
I feel the exact same way! I admitt, just like you, that I do use it from time to time so that I can get stuff done around the house. But honestly, the TV drives me CRAZY! It's just noise that gets under my skin.
I'm sure that my kids would love it if I put a tv in their room...but I will NEVER EVER do that...EVER! Why does a 2yr old need a tv in their room? Seriously?!?! That makes me so sad for him! I just want to hug on him and show him some attention.
I was brought up in a house where we were NOT allowed to have a tv in our room, and I am doing the same with my kids. I could actually go all day long without turning it on, and so can my kids.
TV should be a privledge to watch!
That is shocking to me. Really a two year old? They barely aren't babies anymore. That is ridiculous.
Our kids have TV's in their room. BUT they only get to watch it on the weekends. During the week the thing is never touched. Friday nights we do family movie night with everyone in the living room then the kids head off to one of their rooms; make a camp out to watch a kid movie while we watch an R movie.
And right now I'm batteling our 11 yr old as she was trying her hardest to watch MTV/VH1 etc but now I got her hooked on Degrassi so she watches that AFTER she's earned her tv time by doing extra chores around the house.
For me the TV has become a part of my life. I was an only child growing up and a latch key kid. So I used the TV as an "extended" family to keep noise in the house when I was alone so I wouldn't feel so lonely. Still to this day I can't deal with the house to be too quiet, I'll trun the tv on for background noise.
I couldn't agree more with this post! For me, as my little one is only ten months, usually I drag him around to each room with me and then find something new to occupy him with. Usually this works because we spend most of our time in the living room so the furniture and other stuff in other rooms are all new to him. It's either that, or dig out the pots and pans and let him go to town!
My kids have a tv in their room. They watch a little bit but I think most of the time they just have it on for noise because they are usually playing or reading a book.
I am grateful that my boys love to read like I do. We do weekly trips to the library so they can get new books, we read together as a family, and they will draw pictures from whatever story we read.
Yeah...my kid is totally downstairs watching Nick Jr right now while I read blogs. LOL! Little Butt is 3 but we have been running around all day and this is the first time we've been able to really sit down and do our own thing. In the evenings we definitely have some "alone" time and I see nothing wrong with it. But Little Butt is also extremely well behaved, polite and VERY social. I don't put up with crap. And when she gets bored with TV she plays in her room. She has a portable DVD player in her room but she rarely watches it. She also loves to read.
I think it's all about balance. And I MAKE SURE that Little Butt has dinner at the table. That's just crazy! Poor little guy. I hope that being with you and interacting with other kids will help him in the long run.
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